Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away
Title: …Bring May Flowers
Author: bleu-bella
Word Count: 903
Created: April 6th, 2010
Completed: April 6th, 2010
Updated: January 1st, 2011
Author's Note: Happy belated birthday to Madamoiselle Haruno Sakura! Here's to a year of hopeful kickass-ness in this now mockery of a manga series, and perhaps a permanent retirement from the sammich-making business. Let it be known, however, that I will never forgive Kishimoto his transgressions against one Uchiha Itachi. Chapter 489? What the hell, man. What the hell.
Again: the entire drabble series has been tweaked- in some ways more than others- to accommodate future flow in the story. I recommend a brief re-read, especially of Itachi-centric drabbles, to grasp the shift in the story.
The thunder was a low and rumbling purr in the not-so-far distance, the deep grey rainclouds shuddering and moving in complete disregard to the white-hot flashes of energy they concealed. Sakura barely took notice of the approaching storm that had already begun to drip in welcome against her flat's windows.
Peach-red mane swishing as she paced back and forth, her face was pinched in a mass conglomeration of emotions.
Fear- I can't do this- Nausea- Definitely can't- Sadness- What should I do? Determination- Just bite the bullet- Confusion- How, for crying out loud?
The green-eyed girl almost jumped out of her skin at the firm knock that came from her front door. Panic seeped through her as she began darting about, straightening a throw pillow, positioning a chair, all the while jumping at the ever-nearing thunderstorm.
The hot-wired girl attempted to prevent her brain shorting-out as she almost dove for the door, in answer to the second round of knocks. Smoothing back her growing-out bangs, she straightened her collared shirt and unlocked the door.
Prevention of a cognitive short-out was deemed futile almost the instant Sakura laid eyes on a partially-damp, casually-dressed Itachi. She was more than sure that she was blushing a color akin to Karin's hair as she silently made way for the slightly smiling Uchiha. She could smell sweet cinnamon and light citrus as he brushed past her, trailing long pale fingers (piano hands, she thought dazedly) across Sakura's hips.
She fought the response to bonelessly collapse on the ground.
Sakura followed the dark-haired man into her kitchen, worrying the hem of her shirt. What to do, what to do…
"I believe you had something you wanted to tell me, Sakura?" His tone was light and playful as he sat himself down, hands folded on the small table in front of him.
She knew he was playing her, trying to coerce her into getting overheated and emotional and spilling everythingoutthenandthere-
"No!" She half-shouted, then clasped her hands to her mouth, mortification filling her eyes. "I mean, yes! Ha, ha…"
He Uchiha-smirked at her.
No way in hell was she gonna take that lying down- she caught up with herself. No, no. This is important, and as such I'm going to talk about it rationally. She took a deep breath.
"As you know- Itachi?" She narrowed her eyes. "Put your cellphone away, this is important!" He smirked his smirk this time, sliding the iPhone back into his pocket.
"Quit stalling, then, Sakura-chan." Her left eye twitched, but the pinkette calmed herself.
"As you know, we've been, ah, together for… Quite some time-"
"Almost two years."
"Yes, right… Don't interrupt! Well, ah, in that time, we've grown very-"
"SAAAAAKURA-CHAAAAN! We bring tidings of gifties- and YUM-YUUUMS!"
"Argh!" Sakura practically howled as Ino and TenTen came tumbling into the kitchen, each laden with pastry boxes and frilly bags.
"How the hell did you two get in?"
"You dummy, TenTen has a key," Ino rolled her eyes, smacking the pink-haired girl upside the head. Said pink-haired girl yelped and swatted back at the blonde, who giggled and dodged, oblivious to her friend's quasi-mental fury.
"Yo, Idashi-kun," TenTen greeted around her mouthful of glazed donut. "You 'ere fer Shakura's birfday?"
He inclined his head, as Sakura turned to the two girls with wary curiosity.
"Wait, what exactly are you two doing here?"
The two intruders turned to eachother, grinning.
And all hell broke loose.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SAKURA-CHAN!" The kitchen was flooded with people Sakura could recognize at a glance: Naruto and Hinata; Lee and Kiba; Hayate, Kakashi, Anko, Iruka; A sizable chunk of the Uchiha clan; Deidara, Kurenai, Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon; Minato, Suigetsu, Tsunade, and Kisame; Neji, Gaara, and Temari; Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Shikamaru, Karin, and Juugo; Shino, Chouji, Shizune, and Genma. Sakura could here even more people out in the hall.
"Happy birthday loveliest Sakura-"
"Open my present first! Oh, please, oh please!"
"Forehead, I got your favorite, rainbow sherbet-"
"Bloody hell, Sakura, you're so old now-"
"Is it getting hot in heeere?"
"Where the hell are we supposed to put all the goddamn presents, fu-"
"Watch your mouth, young man!"
"Agh! Someone get Willow off of me!"
"So, what were you going to tell me, Sakura?"
Sensory overload was destroying Sakura's mental capacities. The mass influx of bodies into her apartment, all of them talking and shouting and vying for her attention at once, not to mention her previous state of serious emotional distress, had sent the rational and reasoning part of her brain on a temporary vacation- so, naturally, for the sake of self-preservation, Haruno Sakura did not take any shortcuts towards the release of tension.
"Bloody HELL, I LOVE you, you STUPID Uchiha!"
Everyone stared at the heavily-breathing girl, whose cheeks were returning to their former violent shade of red. The thunder clapped loudly outside in homage to one Haruno Sakura, age nineteen, who died in a tragically horrifying situation that can't ever be mentioned again ever.
Before she could register anything but her own beating heart and burning face, Sakura was whisked into strong, familiar arms, and surrounded so completely by what she loved most.
The crowd of friends and family surged in around the pair as Itachi nuzzled Sakura's nose gently, his brilliant smile all she could see- something so new and dazzling, but familiar and comforting, as she started laughing and crying all at the same time.